Ms. Shirley Raines, Beauty 2 The Streetz founder who cared for the homeless on Skid Row and in Nevada, dies at 58
LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) — Shirley Raines, the beloved nonprofit founder and CEO who helped care for the homeless on L.A.’s Skid Row, has died, her organization said Wednesday morning. She was 58.
“Ms. Shirley dedicated her life to serving others and made an immeasurable impact on homeless communities throughout Los Angeles and Nevada,” the nonprofit, Beauty 2 The Streetz, said in a statement. “Through her tireless advocacy, deep compassion, and unwavering commitment, she used her powerful media platform to amplify the voices of those in need and to bring dignity, resources, and hope to some of the most underserved populations.”
For years, the Long Beach resident offered beauty services, food, showers and more to the homeless people of Skid Row through her nonprofit.
Shirley Raines offers makeovers, food, showers and compassion to the homeless women on Skid Row.
“The reality of Skid Row is that it took a long time to earn that trust. I’m asking someone to close their eyes, lay their head back and be vulnerable,” Raines told ABC7 in a 2019 interview. “It took years of coming back every single Saturday.”
After losing a child, Raines began feeding the homeless with a different nonprofit in order to give back to the community. She learned quickly that the women she met were interested in hair and makeup.
“Of course makeup is not going to take them off the streets, but its a small escape from this terrible reality they’re living in,” Raines said. “They look in the mirror and see something other than homelessness. It just brings them back to who they were.”
The mother of six worked a full-time job, but somehow, she managed to find the time to cook for 400-600 people every week in her one-bedroom apartment. Raines said the lack of sleep was worth it.
“Monday through Friday, someone is saying ‘Get out of the way, you bum.’ On Saturday, someone is saying, ‘You’re important. You’re special.'”
Originally from Compton, Raines was not unfamiliar with hardship. She said she felt a deep connection to the women she met on Skid Row.
“I’m a woman who actually lived this life in the streets, buried a child, went through traumatic relationships, was almost homeless myself, picked myself up, been working in the medical field for 26 years. I’m still very much ghetto, but I survived that,” Raines said. “I’m able to say, ‘I get it. I understand. But you’ve got to just get through it.'”
Raines was named as the 2021 CNN Hero of the Year. As she received her award, Raines thanked her children including her late son, who inspired her work.
“This surely hasn’t been easy. I stand before you a very broken woman,” she said, her voice choked with emotion. “I am a mother without a son and there are a lot of people in the streets without a mother – and I feel like it’s a fair exchange.”
Raine’s cause of death and other details about her passing were not immediately available.
“We humbly ask that you keep Ms. Shirley’s family, loved ones, and the Beauty 2 The Streetz family in your prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” the nonprofit’s statement said. “Further information will be shared as it becomes available.”
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